I've decided to go after my Unicorn this year: M1A/M14

[Andrewsky]

If you do a Google search, you will find a lot of threads where people say the SAI extractors are terrible and they should be changed out to USGI. My personal experience is that it's mostly hype; I don't think their extractors are that bad. For example, I put about 500 rounds through my SOCOM 16 with the SAI extractor before I changed it to USGI. I couldn't tell any difference.

But I have heard that some of their parts, particularly their extractor, have failures and are sent back to the factory on more than occasion. I understand the major benefit of a lifetime warranty, but I rather not have to use it.

[ABNAK]

James River is an Armscorp spinoff.

Mark Hartman = James River Armory and Jack Fries = Armscorp.

Fries kept the Armscorp tooling and James River gets their receivers contract built by 762mmfirearms.

Not quite......James River has their receivers made by the same forge that made 7.62mm's receivers, not made by 7.62mm themselves. JRA also apparently enforces their own QC on this forge. JRA (Rockola) receivers and rifles have a good reputation.

[Crow Hunter]

If you do a Google search, you will find a lot of threads where people say the SAI extractors are terrible and they should be changed out to USGI. My personal experience is that it's mostly hype; I don't think their extractors are that bad. For example, I put about 500 rounds through my SOCOM 16 with the SAI extractor before I changed it to USGI. I couldn't tell any difference.

My brother had one that broke on his first outing. He had another SAI rifle that broke something in the trigger. (He got a new USGI trigger as a replacement from SAI before I got to see it.)

He had 4 M1A rifles at one time. He never had a part breakage out of the ones that were USGI parts. (He had 2 complete USGI ones) The other 2, had several non-USGI parts break and needed to be replaced. Not every non USGI part, one of his rifles was almost all commercial from SAI, but they did break parts and they had way fewer rounds on them that the 2 rifles he had that were all USGI. (My old rifle and one he bought from a guy in East TN)

To SAIs credit, they immediately shipped him a replacement part with no questions asked and every time it was a USGI part they sent rather than a commercial part.

If it were me, and I thought that I might want to use the rifle for anything other than a range toy, I would probably seek out USGI parts if I could.

[KalashniKEV]

Not quite......James River has their receivers made by the same forge that made 7.62mm's receivers, not made by 7.62mm themselves. JRA also apparently enforces their own QC on this forge.

So you agree that JRA = 762mmfirearms, plus they kick back out of spec units (which every manufacturer of every product on earth does).

Got it.

Who is that forge, BTW?

JRA (Rockola) receivers and rifles have a good reputation.

I honestly don't see too many of them out there.

I personally see their customer as more of a 40 rounds a year guy, with the more serious M14-type shooter opting for a higher tier gun.

Still, the name is ridiculous.

JRA selling "Rock-Ola" branded M14s is like Taurus selling "International Harvester" branded M9s.

He had 4 M1A rifles at one time. He never had a part breakage out of the ones that were USGI parts.

It is best to stick with USGI parts over commercial (obviously).

If you keep your eyes peeled for a while, you can usually do it for about the same cost, or not much more.

It really is a no-brainer.

[ABNAK]

So you agree that JRA = 762mmfirearms No, I didn't say that, plus they kick back out of spec units which apparently 7.62mm didn't (which every manufacturer of every product on earth does).

Got it.

Who is that forge, BTW? I *believe* it is Bula Forge



I honestly don't see too many of them out there.

I personally see their customer as more of a 40 rounds a year guy, with the more serious M14-type shooter opting for a higher tier gun. Go to M-14Forum and there are people a LOT more keen to M-14 clones than here.

Still, the name is ridiculous.

JRA selling "Rock-Ola" branded M14s is like Taurus selling "International Harvester" branded M9s. Can't comment on their choice of name.

It would appear that JRA ran into a problem that seems to be affecting the M-14 scene as a whole in recent months: barrel availability. They were using Criterion chrome lined barrels in their builds but ran out. Since Criterion supplies barrels to a number of M-14 clone makers it kinda gummed up the works a bit. Sure, you can get high-end Kreiger or such barrels but as far as a new-manufacture USGI-style chrome lined barrel the pickings are slim.

Will add that some top-name M-14 'smiths out there (as mentioned by someone previously) have given their "seal of approval" for the JRA receivers. Again, M-14Forum can give you plenty of info about JRA. Hell, start a thread and ask.

[Moose-Knuckle]

If it were me, and I thought that I might want to use the rifle for anything other than a range toy, I would probably seek out USGI parts if I could.

Sage advice, my M1A is 99% USGI all parts manufactured in the 60's except the cast receiver made in the 90's right before the old man died and his sons ran SAI's QC into the toilet.